Dr. Leander Grode
Empower Your Biopharmaceutical Journey:
Meet Our Dedicated Team
For over 20 years in the industry, SLS Europe’s management and team members are driven by a full commitment to delivering exceptional consulting and services. Our primary goal is to support organizations throughout the entire product development value chain, ensuring successful and transformative outcomes.
At SLS Europe, our motivation is based on our own experience. When you entrust your projects to us, we treat them as our own, making your aspirations our shared mission.
Our Team
Management
Dr. Leander Grode
Dr. Leander Grode is the Managing Director at SLS Europe, a position he has held since June 2019. Since joining the company as a Project Manager in 2003, he has held roles of increasing responsibility, serving as Chief Scientific Officer beginning in 2013 and directing Business Development since 2008, where he established strategic partnerships and advanced vaccine initiatives.
Under his leadership, SLS Europe successfully secured multiple strategic investments totaling up to €50 million in recent years and facilitated the transfer of majority shares to the Serum Institute of India, strengthening the company’s global footprint and operational capacity.
Earlier in his career, Leander led the vaccine development group in the Department of Immunology at the Max Planck Institute, focusing on vaccine and immunology research. Leander completed his PhD in immunology at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, where he researched tuberculosis vaccines under Prof. Stefan H.E. Kaufmann. He also holds a biology degree from the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt/Main and completed an exchange program at the University of California, San Francisco.
His expertise in immunology, vaccine development, regulatory affairs, and patent strategy continues to guide SLS Europe’s mission of delivering strategic consulting in pharmaceutical development, helping clients navigate complex challenges and drive industry innovation.
Managing Director
Inge Martin
Inge Martin is Director Finance & Accounting at Serum Life Science Europe GmbH (SLS Europe) and joined the company in 2002. She coordinates SLS Europe’s financial administration department and is responsible for Human Resources. In her daily operation she is particularly involved in budgeting, public funding and contracting.
Key Knowledge Areas:
- Accounting & Controlling
- Projects Funding
- Financial Due Diligence
Inge Martin studied English and French in Trier and is a qualified Foreign Language and Business Correspondent. In addition to her studies, she got qualified for accounting and management which led into more than 20 years of experience in Finance & Accounting in national and international companies. For 7 years she worked at the Chamber of Commerce in Braunschweig in the Department of Foreign Trade & Commerce.
Inge Martin
Director Finance and Accounting
Dr. Gerald P. Parzmair
Dr Gerald Parzmair is Chief Operating Officer (COO) at SLS Europe and responsible for all R&D and consulting activities.
Alongside the CEO, he oversees the daily operations of the company. This includes managing processes, workflows, and ensuring smooth execution of business activities. He collaborates with other team members to implement strategic plans and translates high-level strategies into actionable steps and ensures alignment across departments. Gerald’s goal is to explore innovative solutions, streamline processes, and enhance efficiency to the benefit of SLS Europe’s customers.
Key Knowledge Areas:
- GMP/GCP Interface
- Monoclonal Antibodies and ATMPs
- Immunology
He received his bachelor’s and master’s degree in genetics at the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg. For his master’s thesis, he worked at the Medical University of Graz in the field of immunopharmacology on the immunomodulatory effects of certain cannabinoids on human granulocytes. After graduating he moved to Braunschweig to work on his PhD thesis at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research on the roles of adaptor proteins in pathogen-specific immune responses and received his PhD at the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg. Subsequently he participated in the TRAIN Academy for translational project management in pharmaceutical development. He has previously worked as a Project Manager and Clinical Project Manager in translational projects, has overseen several developmental projects as Senior Project Manager, and was responsible for all R&D efforts of SLS Europe as Chief Scientific Officer.
Dr. Gerald P. Parzmair
Chief Operating Officer
Dr. Fabio Pisano
Dr. Fabio Pisano is Chief Development Officer (CDO) at SLS Europe and is responsible for all aspects of project management and consulting services. He joined SLS Europe as Project Manager and Quality Assurance Manager, and later specialized in product development and regulatory consulting.
Key Knowledge Areas:
- Regulatory consulting
- Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
- Portfolio development
Fabio Pisano studied pharmaceutical biotechnologies at the University of Bologna and performed his doctoral studies at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig. Afterwards, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the field of immunology and infectious diseases, with special focus on the virulence strategies of the enteric pathogens Yersinia and Salmonella.
After training as a Project Management Associate, he worked as Scientific Officer in the German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF).
Dr. Fabio Pisano
Chief Development Officer
Dr. Christiane Meller
Dr. Christiane Meller is Director Quality Assurance at Serum Life Science Europe GmbH (SLS Europe).
Christiane Meller is experienced in planning and management of clinical trials within the EU regulatory framework (phases I-III). At SLS Europe she is responsible for running the quality assurance. She consults companies in custom designing their quality management systems and acts as speaker with regard to current and future regulatory requirements.
Key Knowledge Areas:
- Quality Management
- Good Clinical Practice
- Teaching and Coaching
Christiane Meller studied biology and majored in molecular biology at the Ruprecht-Karls-University in Heidelberg.
Supported by a doctoral scholarship of the International Graduate College “Hannover Biomedical Research School” she accomplished her doctoral thesis at the TWINCORE, a centre for translational research in infectious diseases.
Dr. Christiane Meller
Director Quality Assurance
Dr. Steffi Hansen
Dr. Steffi Hansen is Director Quality Assurance and Deputy QPPV at Serum Life Science Europe GmbH (SLS Europe).
Steffi Hansen is experienced in state of the art quality management. She acts as our consultant and assists companies in bespoke design QMS and brings them up to speed with current and future regulatory requirements.
Key Knowledge Areas:
- QMS Consulting
- Teaching and Coaching
- Good Pharmacovigilance Practice
Steffi Hansen holds a doctorate in pharmacy from Saarland University, Germany (2009).
She held several academic positions, including as visiting scientist at Winkle College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, USA and as team leader in the field of transdermal vaccination at the Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland, Germany.
Dr. Steffi Hansen
Director Quality Assurance and Deputy QPPV
Dr. Marcus May
Dr. Marcus May is Medical Director and QPPV at Serum Life Science Europe GmbH. He is a Medical Doctor with almost 20 years of experience in clinical practice, academia, and the pharmaceutical industry, a Board Accredited Clinical Pharmacologist and has a Master’s degree in Health Business Administration.
Key Knowledge Areas:
- Medicine and GCP-Regulations
- Methods in clinical research
- Pharmacovigilance
- Healthcare economics
Based on his experience in planning and conduct of more than 70 clinical trials in various indications, with Small Molecules, ATMPs or Vaccines he is an expert in the setup of clinical development strategies for Investigational Medicinal Products. During several years as senior investigator and head of clinical operations in an academic site management organization (SMO) and later as Medical Expert, Medical Director and QPPV at SLS Europe he collected extensive expertise in ICH regulations, quality management, regulatory affairs and post-marketing pharmacovigilance.
After he received his license to practice medicine in 2007, he worked in two hospitals as a resident physician in internal medicine. In 2011, he accomplished his doctoral thesis, since 2014 he is a Board Accredited Clinical Pharmacologist and since 2020 he is holding a master’s degree in Health Business Administration.
Dr. Marcus May
Medical Director and QPPV
Dr. Sina Brückner
Dr. Sina Brückner is Director Clinical Operations at Serum Life Science Europe GmbH (SLS Europe). Sina Brückner is experienced in organizing, coordinating, managing and overseeing clinical trials (phases II-III) in Germany and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Key Knowledge Areas:
- Infectious diseases
- Clinical development
- Good Clinical Practice
- Scientific advice
Sina Brückner performed her doctoral studies at the Eberhart-Karls University Tübingen as well as at the Albert-Schweitzer Hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon. She investigated if an antihelminthic treatment has an effect on the vaccine immunogenicity in a population highly susceptible for geohelminth.
Dr. Sina Brückner
Director Clinical Operations